The future of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro is in the balance as his trial for masterminding a conspiracy to stay in power enters its final stage today. The country is bracing for unrest during the trial.

A Supreme Court panel has scheduled sessions from September 2-12 to decide whether the populist ex-leader is guilty of seeking to overturn the result of the 2022 presidential election , which he lost to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro, who is 70, was charged with five counts related to attempting to stage a coup d’etat. He denies any wrongdoing and is currently under house arrest , having repeatedly claimed that his trial is politically motivated.

That argument resonated with US President Donald Trump, who slapped a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian imports a

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